Splunk Updated SPLK-2002 Exam Questions and Answers by karson

 Splunk internal logs are stored in the SPLUNK_HOME/var/log/splunk directory by default. The default log size for Splunk internal logs is 25 MB, which means that when a log file reaches 25 MB, Splunk rolls it to a backup file and creates a new log file. The default number of backup files is 5, which means that Splunk keeps up to 5 backup files for each log file

To determine where a Splunk forwarder is attempting to send its data, administrators can search within the _internal index using the metrics logs generated by the forwarder’s Splunkd process. The correct and documented search is:

index=_internal sourcetype=splunkd metrics destHost | dedup destHost

The _internal index contains detailed operational logs from the Splunkd process, including metrics on network connections, indexing pipelines, and output groups. The field destHost records the destination indexer(s) to which the forwarder is attempting to send data. Using dedup destHost ensures that only unique destination hosts are shown.

This search is particularly useful for troubleshooting forwarding issues, such as connection failures, misconfigurations in outputs.conf, or load-balancing behavior in multi-indexer setups.

Other listed options are invalid or incorrect because:

sourcetype=internal does not exist.

index=_metrics is not where Splunk stores forwarding telemetry.

The field inputHost identifies the source host, not the destination.

Thus, Option D aligns with Splunk’s official troubleshooting practices for forwarder-to-indexer communication validation.

References (Splunk Enterprise Documentation):

• Monitoring Forwarder Connections and Destinations

• Troubleshooting Forwarding Using Internal Logs

• _internal Index Reference – Metrics and destHost Fields

• outputs.conf – Verifying Forwarder Data Routing and Connectivity

 The following statements are true about Splunk indexer clustering:

All peer nodes must run exactly the same Splunk version. This is a requirement for indexer clustering, as different Splunk versions may have different data formats or features that are incompatible with each other. All peer nodes must run the same Splunk version as the master node and the search heads that connect to the cluster.

The search head must run the same or a later Splunk version than the peer nodes. This is a recommendation for indexer clustering, as a newer Splunk version may have new features or bug fixes that improve the search functionality or performance. The search head should not run an older Splunk version than the peer nodes, as this may cause search errors or failures. The following statements are false about Splunk indexer clustering:

The master node must run the same or a later Splunk version than the search heads. This is not a requirement or a recommendation for indexer clustering, as the master node does not participate in the search process. The master node should run the same Splunk version as the peer nodes, as this ensures the cluster compatibility and functionality.

The peer nodes must run the same or a later Splunk version than the master node. This is not a requirement or a recommendation for indexer clustering, as the peer nodes do not coordinate the cluster activities. The peer nodes should run the same Splunk version as the master node, as this ensures the cluster compatibility and functionality. For more information, see [About indexer clusters and index replication] and [Upgrade an indexer cluster] in the Splunk documentation.

The guidance Splunk gives for estimating size on for syslog data is 50% of original data size. This divides between files in the index as follows: rawdata is 15%, tsidx is 35%. The rawdata is the compressed version of the original data, which typically takes about 15% of the original data size. The tsidx is the index file that contains the time-series metadata and the inverted index, which typically takes about 35% of the original data size. The total size of the rawdata and the tsidx is about 50% of the original data size. For more information, see [Estimate your storage requirements] in the Splunk documentation.